Sympathy For The Devil
by HalloweenJack
Summary: We all know Angel and crew have their hands full with running Wolfram and Hart....course when Mephisto shows up to raise a little hell...well things get worse don't they?
1. Devil's Due

I own nothing damn it! Stop harassing me!

"Oh my head." Amy said as she sat up.  
  
The setting was unfamiliar as always. A seedy motel room that was incredibly dirty and sleazy. The sheets in the bed she sat on were wet with sweat, she hoped, and the room in general was trashed and very disgusting. The only light in the room was issued forth by lamp without a shade. Her head pounding, Amy stood up and put her feet on the floor.  
  
That's when she noticed she was nude. She scanned the room for anything that might remotely seem like clothing she could wear. She was in luck. She found a pair of red leather pants, a pair of matching boots and a red tank top. They were nice to look at and actually fit like a dream.  
  
Amy stumbled to the bathroom and flipped the light switch on. Not even bothering to look around, she turned the sink's faucet on and began to run water. Splashing it on her face made her feel a little bit better. It was almost like she had a hangover. Popping her neck she stood up and jumped back when she looked in the mirror. There were words written on it in red lipstick.  
  
"Amy, I hope you enjoy the clothes. They seemed your size and they'll do for me as well. Love, M."  
  
Amy read the words over and sighed. Then her eyes scanned further down.  
  
"P.S., please take care of that mess."  
  
Amy suddenly felt sick. These words in red lipstick haunted Amy, mainly because she didn't have any red lipstick. Slowly she turned and saw the woman's body in the bathtub. Amy almost screamed when she saw the blood that caked the walks. She fell backwards onto her ass and curled her legs up and tried not to look at the sight.  
  
"Portal!" She screamed.  
  
The body instantly sunk into the portal beneath it. And Amy sat there on the bathroom tile, crying. She was bad, but the things HE did were terrible. And there was no escape from him. None at all. They were stuck with one another.  
  


The demon scene in Los Angeles is much like that of any other major metropolitan city. Metropolis, New York, Gotham, Chicago, they all are primarily the same when it comes to this very special side of their underworlds. L.A. is tad different though, mainly because of two things. First and foremost there are the law offices of Wolfram and Hart, an interdimensional organization that can provide gainful employment for any of the non-human organisms.  
  
Then there is also a new player in town, and that makes this city all the more special. Because he is quite frankly one scary son of a bitch. And right now, he's walking to one of his favorite night spots.

The big hulking Minotaur at the door immediately backed away and allowed the newcomer to cut in line in front of the other patrons. He learned his lesson the first night when the newcomer wanted in and he refused to let him in right at that moment. The Minotaur suffered a terrible series of fractures in his right arm. Luckily he knew a guy who knew a warlock and got himself all patched up, but from that night on he always smiled and opened the door for his assailant.  
  
Now there are many clubs in L.A. Some cater to humans only, others like Lux cater to both crowds, but this particular club, The Devil's Own, is supernatural only. Inside, a succubus is waiting tables, delivering a round of drinks to a few zombies. A human corpse is being used as a dart board by some Nightbreed, while a Der Kinderstod and werewolf chat philosophy at a nearby table. At the bar, the cyclopean bartender slides a few beers (with soul extract) down to a few customers.  
  
"I tell ya bub; cleaning floors ain't nothing like being a bio-exorcist. I just wish I could get out there once in a while to cause some real mayhem ya know? But I'm stuck here. And I don't even get to stay here very long before Juno yells for me to get back down there. Sometimes, afterlife sucks." a Ghoul in a striped zoot suit with stringy blonde hair said.  
  
"I hear ya. I gotta kill kids in their dreams here; I gotta kill kids in their dreams there. Sometimes I just wish that Nightmare would quit sending me on these fucking errands so I could just relax and hang out with you more B.J." his company said as he lifted his glass with a bladed hand.  
  
"You're a good friend, Fred. Here's to 'ya!"  
  
In the center of the room, where you'd expect to find a mechanical bull there is only a ten foot pit. Patrons are crowded around yelling down below at the current death match taking place within. A shark demon that was all smiles (no pun intended) smirked at the manager of his fighter's competition. The short pale man with greasy hair simply sighed as he saw his competitor torn apart down in the pit.  
  
"Take you ill gotten money." The greasy man said to the shark demon.  
  
"Heh. Glad to do business with you, Mr. Tap. Now go on home and tell Ms. Roulette that there's a reason that most dinosaurs went extinct. Not even that raptor you brought here all the way from Isla Sorna can stand up to a Turok-Han." The shark demon smiled.  
  
Deep in the pit, the Turok-Han roared over its kill and held the head of the raptor high.  
  
The newcomer smirked at what was going on here. It has been a good idea to take over this shoddy little hellhole and make it into something truly spectacular. A little incantation his better half weaved also provided a decent cloak from Wolfram and Hart, because he knew that they were looking for him. But soon, they wouldn't even really be that much of a threat.  
  
He looked to the bartender and made sure that he was seen, even with that one eye. He snapped his fingers and the bartender quickly went to work to make his drink. The newcomer smiled and walked to the private booth that belonged to him now that he was owner of the club.

He remembered how he had found the previous owner sitting there the fist night he came in, and "convinced" him to sign it over to him. Well before he was torn to bits and scattered from the Valley to Malibu. The newcomer scowled when he saw someone was sitting in his booth, with his feet up presumptuously.  
  
He was young looking and human in appearance and wore solid black, with a black trench coat. That screamed vampire. His hair was bleached blonde and at first glance he was mistaken for the Slayer's pet vampire. But his hair was more spiked and longer, like a mullet. He was also smirking hugely.  
  
"I hear you're the guy to talk to around here." The vampire at the table said.  
  
"I am."  
  
The vampire was instantly gripped by the neck and thrown halfway across the club. The newcomer sat down in his booth and watched the surprised vampire rise to his feet and shakily walk back over towards the table.  
  
"Hell of an arm there." The vampire said, holding his neck as he approached the table.  
  
"You have no idea. Now, do you mind telling me what you were doing in my booth? Make it quick before I tear your heart out and feed it to you."  
  
"I just wanted to get your attention. You've ignored me every other time I've tried to get it." The vampire stated.  
  
"I'm not on to be bothered." The one in the both growled, "Didn't anyone try and stop you from getting in my booth?"  
  
"They tried. But I'm persistent. I just wanted to get your attention." The vampire said again.  
  
"So what's it to be? Are you challenging me or trying to sell me something? Either way it's rather annoying. It happens almost every night."  
  
"Yeah, but not everyone sits in your booth every night." The vampire countered, "That alone has balls. And balls I have in spades."  
  
"Ah, you're selling something." The one in the booth smirked.  
  
"I figure I am." The vampire replied.  
  
"What are you selling and what makes you think I'm interested?"  
  
"I'm selling my eyes, ears, and my fists." The vampire replied.  
  
"I have enough bouncers here thank you. And if I need a bodyguard, it obviously wouldn't be someone I could manhandle so easily."  
  
"Well, that's not exactly what I'm selling." The vampire said again, pulling up a chair from a nearby table, "That's not my line of work."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"I'm good with other things. More under the table kind of stuff. I know how to help run an organization and I figure I'm as good a lieutenant as anyone you can get around these parts. I can keep my eyes peeled for anyone who might want to move in on your territory and if I can help take them out like that." The vampire said snapping his fingers.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"I'm smart, I'm fast, and I'm strong. Most of all I'm persistent. I came and sat in your booth just to get your attention and when you threw me across the room, I just got up and came back to talk business. I could have run, but I didn't. I figure if you want me dead you can kill me anytime. And I didn't run from your goons when they tried to toss me out for sitting there. I got nothing to lose that I haven't lost already. That's my philosophy." The vampire smiled.  
  
The being in the booth smiled at the vampire.  
  
"Now you, I'm starting to like, but what makes you think I need a lieutenant?"  
  
"You're just getting established here. Bang up job so far, but bad as you are you're gonna need somebody who knows the business like I do." The vampire said.  
  
"And how do you know it? From your mannerisms you seem young for a vampire. You're probably not even a century old."  
  
"That's true. Got brought over in the sixties, but I helped my sire run a town up north called Santa Carla. Our brood pretty much had the run of the place until about sixteen years or so ago. Hunters came in and wiped out everybody but me." The vampire replied.  
  
"And how'd you escape?"  
  
The vampire smirked, "Here's a rule of thumb, only wood to the heart kills vampires. Antelope horns hurt like hell, but that's about it."  
  
The one in the booth smirked.  
  
"Look, if you want somebody at your side to help keep an eye on things and maybe run a few hoes or drugs, than I'm your man. Hell, I made a living by siphoning my own blood off and selling it to junkies. Gives 'em one hell of a high. I know how to work a business like this." The vampire stated as he stood and broke the leg off of his chair, "But if not, take this and jam right into my mother fucking heart, because seriously, I got nothing to lose I ain't lost already."  
  
The one in the booth stood and took the stake from the vampire and pressed it into his chest hard. The vampire hissed in pain and his vamped out as the shard of wood was slowly worked into his chest cavity. However, he didn't struggle or even try and get away. He just stood there and smiled. The stake was recoiled and dropped.  
  
"You'll begin immediately."  
  
"Sweet. Name's David by the way." The vampire smirked.  
  
"Well, David, don't disappoint me. When you work for Mephisto, you have Hell to pay if you fuck up." Mephisto growled as he sat back down, clad in red leather pants and a red tank top.  
  
"Got it." David smirked as he walked away, whistling Sympathy for the Devil.  
  
Mephisto smiled and closed his eyes.  
  
"I love that song."


	2. Devil in the Details

Mazikeen, Lilim Warlord, consort to Lucifer, the scarred scourge, the rotting wrath, the Tom to Spike's Jerry growled when Mephisto entered Lux. She didn't like the demon lord when he was a King of Hell and she liked him less now that he was on earth because every now and then he'd drop by and annoy her to no end. She couldn't stand the sight of him. Gone were the rags and long tattered cape that he used to wear, replaced by red leather pants, boots, a red tank top, red duster, and even a red choker collar around his neck.  
  
Mephisto smirked when he saw her behind the bar and he slid his sunglasses from his face and hung them on his tank top. Sauntering over cockily, Mephisto hopped onto the nearest bar stool and smiled, displaying several rows of teeth. Mazikeen merely watched him and had a furious look on the visible side of her face.  
  
"Hello my dear. Rum and coke." Mephisto said flirtatiously.  
  
"Why not something stronger?" Mazikeen said in her brutal voice, though to Mephisto it was clear as a bell.  
  
"I don't want to become to inebriated. Makes my better half come out in me." Mephisto smiled, "So that'll be it."  
  
"So what brings you here today, other than mocking me that is?" Mazikeen asked as she mixed his drink.  
  
"Oh, I thought I'd have a talk with the big man today. Failing that I'd like to ask if it was true that a vampire recently dropped an anvil on your head. Now that's comedy." Mephisto said grasping his drink and sipping it.  
  
"You annoy me Mephisto. That's not a good idea." Mazikeen warned.  
  
"Yes, yes, you're very frightening. I simply quake in my boots." Mephisto smirked, stirring his drink with his finger.  
  
"Perhaps you don't, but you are bonded to a mortal. How would she fair?"  
  
"Not well Two-Face, but if you kill her I simply go back to Hell. Then I come back here at full power. And right then your only chance is that Lucifer considers you a good enough lay to bother with saving." Mephisto laughed.  
  
"Mephisto."  
  
Mephisto smiled and turned to the beautiful, yet authoritative voice that filled the room. He slid around on his barstool and downed his drink as he saw Lucifer standing behind him.  
  
"Uh oh, daddy's home." Mephisto said.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Lucifer asked, as he began to light a cigarette he took from his case, "Other than annoying Mazikeen and I to no ends."  
  
"Well, my club makes good drinks, but nothing compared to hers. I hear she has SUCH talented hands." Mephisto smiled.  
  
"She does. And what's the real reason?" Lucifer asked, already so frightfully bored.  
  
"I want a moment of your time." Mephisto said in all seriousness, "Table for two?"  
  
"This had best be good." Lucifer said inhaling the smoke from his cigarette.  
  
Mephisto hopped up and walked to the nearest table and sat down smiling, "Tell me, how do you like my hair?"  
  
Lucifer regarded the locks of blue on Mephisto's head, much shorter than they had been previous and dyed. They were also spiked up.  
  
"Doesn't match your outfit." Lucifer said sitting down across from him.  
  
"We don't always have to be stylish and proper." Mephisto said regarding Lucifer's business suit and tie, "Also it's only blue today. I'm thinking green tomorrow."  
  
"How customarily boring."  
  
"Well one's man's meat is another's poison. Interesting little saying there. Now then, shall we get down to business?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"No we won't get down to business?"  
  
"No, I will not turn you back." Lucifer said deadpan, "I have better things to do today than to listen to your whining about being trapped in that form."  
  
Mephisto looked hurt, and then laughed uncontrollably.  
  
"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, do you mind if I call you Lucy?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"Don't push your luck." Lucifer replied.  
  
"Well then…Lucy…" Mephisto smirked, flirting with disaster and knowing full well, "Why on earth would I want to go back to Hell?"   
  
"To regain your full power." Lucifer replied, "And if you're anything like Glorificus, being here is driving you insane."  
  
"I'll get my full power back in time. That's a guarantee." Mephisto answered, "And Glorificus never had a rapport with these creatures like I do. She was all pain and cruelty and don't get me wrong, that's what I'm all about, but sin is in. All those years of being evil incarnate and I never really knew what it was like to experience the things I harped on about endlessly. I LOVE IT HERE. There's so much to feel, to do, to taste. The thing that makes it even better is that fact that I have some teensy weensy little bit of remorse about it all since I'm bonded to a human. And that just makes committing it all the more fun. I mean what's so great about sin if you're not just a little bit afraid of the consequences of your actions? And if what I hear is true about down below right now, I wouldn't want to be there anyway."  
  
"Interesting. But that doesn't really tell me why I'm being annoyed by you today." Lucifer replied.  
  
"Don't worry, it's good. You'll like this." Mephisto smiled evilly, "Those signs are a pointin' ain't they?"  
  
"To someone of limited capacity such as you I'd imagine recent events would seem to be signs." Lucifer replied.  
  
"Oh, low blow. I'm crushed. Come on, they're signs if I ever saw one. The First Evil rose and fell. Heaven's taking an invested interest in Hell and if what I hear is true, Adam Warlock humiliated you right before he wiped your universe away." Mephisto explained, right before he saw a fire in Lucifer's eyes that made him cringe and nearly lose control of his bladder. Also he heard thunder ring loudly outside as the inside of Lux grew almost as black as pitch.  
  
"You tread on dangerous ground." Lucifer said with a tone of calmness that belied the look in his eyes.  
  
"I…I apologize my Lord…my words were rash and ill-chosen. It won't happen again." Mephisto said looking down and shaking in fear.  
  
"Good. Now get on with it." Lucifer replied as everything cleared up.  
  
"Right…yes. Well, Warlock…ATTACKED you. And if any being can even remotely approach your level of cunning and power, it is Warlock now that he is backed by the Infinity Gauntlet. I, however, have been a thorn in Warlock's side before."  
  
"He humiliated you." Lucifer smirked, "Say it."  
  
"He humiliated me." Mephisto replied.  
  
"Again."  
  
"Adam Warlock humiliated me."  
  
"Better."  
  
"Yes, but even in humiliation one can learn secrets of a foe." Mephisto said with a canny smile.  
  
"I wouldn't know."  
  
"Of course you wouldn't my lord. But I, your lowly servant do. Additionally, there are bonds between myself and the Gauntlet that even you do not have. I know how Warlock thinks, you don't. I know what moves he'll make in battle, you can't. I know exactly how to break him, so I'm prepared to make a deal." Mephisto said with a smile.  
  
"I could of course just take the answers." Lucifer replied.  
  
"That you could, but I've already spoken to another interested party who's shielding me a bit as it were. You're canny my lord, but he has an annoying habit to play by the rules of protocol, which is most beneficial in my case." Mephisto smirked.  
  
"Gabriel." Lucifer stated simply and quietly.  
  
"Yes. I went to him because perhaps in all the omniverse, he has a hatred of Warlock that exceeds your own. I just wanted to see who makes a better deal." Mephisto replied.  
  
Lucifer knew Mephisto was planning something, of that there was no doubt. He had been uninterested in anything the demon had been selling before, but now that Gabriel was involved and was willing to pay for what Mephisto knew, things just got more interesting.  
  
"Name your terms." Lucifer stated.  
  
"Good then. I want total control of Hell handed over to me from you. You would have no more say in how it is run and would have zero political and physical power there."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"Oh no no no no. I want knowledge of where every FULL cosmic containment unit is in this universe and the means to get to them. I want to be at full power and then some in both realms." Mephisto continued.  
  
"That sounds fair." Lucifer smirked.  
  
"I'm not done." Mephisto said smirking, "I want earth."  
  
"You what?"  
  
"I want earth. I've been having such a good time here I want to make it my own personal chateau. My summer home if you will. I want total and complete dominion over it." Mephisto said.  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you sure?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"One hundred percent. Leave now or be destroyed. Utterly." Lucifer calmly stated.  
  
Mephisto stood with a smile, "Is it because of your plans for mankind?"  
  
"Go."  
  
"I'm going. No need to get hostile." Mephisto said, putting his sunglasses on and going out the door into the very sunny day. He began to walk down the street with a spring in his step.  
  
"I SEE THAT HE DID NOT AGREE TO YOUR TERMS."  
  
"He didn't. So I guess that means I deal with you." Mephisto said to nothing as he walked along.  
  
"I FIND YOUR TERMS QUITE AGREEABLE."  
  
"I know. I just wanted the cosmic containment units anyway." Mephisto smiled, "Feel free to dig around in my head for the answers you want."  
  
A moment later, Mephisto went to one knee and uttered a sound of terrible pain.  
  
"OW! Not so hard! I'm physical now!" Mephisto said clutching his head with his hands.  
  
"IT IS DONE. OUR TRANSACTION IS COMPLETED. MY THANKS."  
  
"Anytime L.T., anytime." Mephisto said, chuckling on the ground slightly over the knowledge of where all the cosmic containment units were, "Guess I'll have to start dispatching minions for them. Heh. I need minions first."  
  
"Sir? Sir are you alright?" an attractive woman in her late twenties asked as she walked by the man lying there on the ground.  
  
"I-I'm fine." Mephisto groaned as he stood up, "I am a little hungry though."  
  
Seconds later, Mephisto's hands dug into the temples of the young woman and she screamed as blue light cascaded outwards.  


Mephisto whistled as he entered the Devil's Own a half hour later. Normally, he would have played with the woman for a bit before killing her but he was feeling charitable today with his business transactions. He merely let her run off screaming and causing danger to other humans instead of viciously raping and disemboweling her. As soon as he entered the club, he saw a very tired David sitting at the bar.  
  
"Not used to working day hours yet?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"Not yet." David yawned, "I was waiting for you actually."  
  
"Oh? Why is that?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"Well, like I said I sold you my eyes right. Got a few packages you might enjoy. Bought 'em right off the street then killed the guy and took my money back." David said.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And they have something neat inside each of them. Little pieces of volcanic rock. At least that's what they look like. From the pitch the guy selling them tossed, they were a little bit more than that." David said sleepily.  
  
"And what are they then?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"Fragments from some creature that got busted to pieces in the spring. Thought you might wanna put him back together." David replied.  
  
"And why would I want to piece together something that was stupid enough to be shattered to bits?" Mephisto asked.  
  
"Because according to the recently deceased, this boy blocked out the sun and temporarily wiped out Wolfram and Hart." David smirked.   
  
Mephisto smiled, "You mean..."  
  
"The Beast."  
  
"Oh goody."


	3. Shot in the Dark

"Wes."

"Gunn."

The two men stared at one another for the longest time. Were they friends anymore? Were they enemies? To put them into either category was probably incorrect. They were just associates and tended to avoid one another's company unless they absolutely had to be brought together. Unfortunately, this seemed to be one of those times.

There was a time when they had been friends. Wesley would explain to Gunn the forms of supernatural phenomena they would face. Gunn would explain why the Lakers hadn't been the same since Magic Johnson left. They would joke with one another and fight side by side. If Wesley weren't a white British man or Gunn wasn't black and born and raised in L.A., you'd think them brothers. So what exactly destroyed this friendship?

"I thought Fred said she was coming down here." Gunn asked.

It's always a girl.

"She ran into some trouble in the lab and can't leave. So she called me." Wesley replied.

"How thoughtful. I guess you'll want to see the scene then." Gunn said with hostility, towering over Wesley.

"It would definitely justify my being here." Wesley replied, adding a touch more testosterone to the conversation.

"Yeah. Whatever. Come on." Gunn said turning and walking towards the warehouse.

"So tell me what we're dealing with here." Wesley said, briefly glancing at the moon. It had a halo around it. Mystic sign of bad luck.

"Didn't get filled in huh? Well let me bring you up to speed. We got ourselves a murder. Five of them in fact. Cordy had a vision a few hours ago. We died in it." Gunn explained.

"Well that's rather disheartening."

"Well, she only thought it was us at first. Her vision was pretty jumbled together. After it stopped she put the pieces together. She saw five humans getting killed by something in a fight. She couldn't make out what they were fighting though." Gunn explained.

"I have my suspicions." Wesley said looking at the warehouse they were approaching, "This is where Angelus destroyed the Beast."

"Yeah. Almost forgot you were there when it happened."

"I didn't actually see it. I was outside fending off a pair of vampires. Faith and Angelus did all the hard work."

"Gee, imagine that. At first we didn't know where to look to try and stop this. L.A.'s pretty big after all. We knew they were in a warehouse so that narrowed it down a little. We were still busting our chops trying to pin point exactly where." Gunn continued.

"Why wasn't I called sooner? I could have helped." Wesley asked.

"Well sorry buddy, but you were busy taking on a nest of Glurgs in Beverly Hills, remember?" Gunn replied, "Besides, your fuck buddy talked us into using some of the telepaths at Wolfram and Hart to track down any mental signals in warehouses that would match what we were looking for. We found this one in no time at all, but while we were jawing about what to do five of the signals inside went out. Bam, bam, bam, like that."

"Lilah and I are not "fuck buddies" anymore for starts. Secondly, you said five signals went out. How many sentient beings were in this warehouse to begun with?" Wesley asked.

"Now that's the fun part. We got two or three more signals."

"Two or three more? You're not sure?" Wesley asked.

"One was a demon. We know that much. The other ones were weird. It was like two signals overlapping." Gunn replied.

"Kind of scary huh?" 

Gunn and Wesley both jumped, never quite used to that.

"Damn it Angel! Why you always gotta be sneaking up on us?" Gunn asked.

"For the look on your faces. It's priceless." Angel smirked before looking to Wesley, "I thought Fred was coming?"

"She was busy. You've seen the crime scene?" Wesley asked.

"Just walked out of there. The place reeks of death. I'm pretty sure it's him. All the evidence is adding up. Though I'd like a second opinion." Angel said.

"Show me the scene?" Wesley asked.

"Alright. Right this way." Angel said, leading Wesley and Gunn inside the warehouse. Before they entered they knew it was a real mess. Cast iron doors were broken in, well more out like something had been thrown through. A chalk outline was on the ground outside them. Inside, crates were smashed open everywhere. Some Wolfram and Hart agents were inside, tracing more lines of chalk where the bodies were found. Wesley looked around.

"This is the usual amount of damage caused by the Beast." Wesley mused. 

"I could have told you that." Gunn said under his breath.

"The victims?" Wesley asked.

"The four we found that were mostly whole are being carted away as we speak. I already had a look. I know a lot about the human anatomy, so I can pretty much figure what killed them. Blunt force trauma to the head and chest, covered in contusions, few shattered ribs." Angel began speaking.

"Shattered?" Wesley asked.

"Not broken. Shattered as in multiple pieces." Angel replied.

"Sounds like the Beast alright." Gunn said.

"Also we found some charred bones in a corner. Looks like one of them was barbequed." Angel said.

"Damn. Still not used to hearing that." Gunn said

"Well, our corpses didn't go without a fight but they went." Angel explained.

"They managed to fight back? Mutants?" Wesley asked.

"Nope." Angel said producing a card from nowhere and handing it to Wesley, "Our competition."

The card read "Monster Fighters INC.: We Kick Paranormal Butt."

Monster Fighters INC. entered the warehouse and immediately saw why they had been summoned here. There was a huge red demon, seemingly carved from volcanic rock standing in the middle of the warehouse. It was gigantic. Almost eight feet tall if you didn't count the horns; well over ten if you did. It looked about, as if it seemed somewhat confused to its surroundings.

Past the creature was a woman tied up and sobbing, with her mouth taped shut. She was pretty with dark brown, almost black hair. Her eyes begged the Fighters to help her.

"A C note says that that's the babe who called us." Adam Bomb said. He was of course decked out in the loudest colors he could find.

"Anybody know what kind of demon that thing is?" Porte, the raven haired teleporter of the group asked.

"Rap, anything like it in your dimension?" the team leader, Amanda Firestarter asked.

"I've never seen anything like it." The extra dimensional Rapunzel replied.

"It's mine." Kid Gloves said as he dashed off towards the creature.

"Kay wait! Son of a….every damned time!" Firestarter groaned.

"Hey maybe we'll get lucky. Kay's like a male Slayer." Porte said hopefully.

Kid Gloves leapt at the creature with a powerful jump kick. The creature made no effort to move. Kid Gloves hit his target. He also hit the ground a few seconds later because despite his powerful kick, the creature didn't budge. It did smile just a bit before picking him up and throwing him violently into a wall.

"Or maybe this will play out like it always does." Porte sighed.

"Alright, following me so far?" Angel asked.

"For the most part. What happened after he hit the wall?" Wesley asked.

"That's a little hazy, but when I first walked in here my demon picked up something. It sensed something magickal had happened here recently. I'm not sure exactly, but I feel it whenever I'm near a portal opening. It's kind of like the feeling you get when you think about riding a roller coaster. That's how I am when I'm near a portal thanks to my trip to Hell." Angel replied.

"You sayin' they tried teleporting him to another dimension?" Gunn asked.

"Something along those lines." Angel replied.

"Okay Porte, nail it." Firestarter ordered.

"I'm on it." Porte replied. Purplish black energy gathered at her finger tips as the creature approached. A portal formed in front of her and she directed it at the creature.

The creature didn't seem to struggle but instead walked right into the portal. Porte quickly closed the portal when she could no longer see the creature. She smiled and looked at Firestarter.

"Problem solved. And we didn't even have to get our hands that dirty." Porte smiled.

"Still Kay took a beating." Firestarter said, looking at the slightly shaky Kid Gloves rising across the warehouse.

"Eh, maybe if he weren't so hot headed." Adam Bomb smirked, "He should be a cucumber like me."

"Cucumber?" Rapunzel asked.

Porte rolled her eyes, "As in cool as a, Rap. I swear Adam, you're way to full of—"

Seconds later, the creature they were facing just faded back in front of them and its huge fist struck Porte right in the face. The girl flew back through the metal doors of the warehouse and crashed to the pavement outside.

"Porte!" Adam said running out after her. Rapunzel turned to go as well and in that instant was grabbed by her inhumanly long hair and swung about, skidding across the warehouse.

Firestarter managed to duck a fist and roll to the side and backed away, summoning her flame to strike the creature. The creature seemed unaffected and merely walked into the flame after her. Firestarter gritted her teeth and made the flames hotter.

"I know what you are now. We have a dossier on you after your rampage back in the spring. You're the Beast!" Firestarter yelled, "But you're supposed to be dead."

The Beast smiled and continued walking after her.

"Doesn't matter though." Firestarter said, turning up the heat again, "Because in a minute you're going to be ash!"

Firestarter sent even more flame at her foe. He kept walking towards here even when the flames grew white hot. Firestarter pushed harder, her flames and the exertion making her sweat horribly. The Beast merely watched her and smirked.

"Your power is so small. You're like a river trying to battle an ocean. All you do is feed me." The Beast smiled.

"W-What?" Firestarter asked, still pouring it on.

"Let me show you." The Beast said crouching and slamming its fist into the ground. Seconds later, flames shot out and surrounded Firestarter, taking the shape of the Eye of Fire. The ancient alchemical symbol for fire and destruction shot a huge geyser of flame upwards surrounding Firestarter. She screamed in agony as he flesh was burned from her body. The geyser of flame burst through the roof of the warehouse before dying down retreating back to the ground, leaving Amanda Firestarter, nothing but ash and a few charred bones. And the Beast smiled.

"AMANDA!" Kid Gloves screamed in anguish.

"Well that would explain THAT hole in the ceiling." Gunn said looking at the perfectly burned hole.

Wesley was kneeling beside the spot where Firestarter's bones had been found. He saw the charred Eye of Fire symbol on the ground.

"This is most definitely the work of the Beast. He did the same thing atop the Sky Temple after he threw you off the top of it." Wesley said to Angel.

Angel nodded, remembering the encounter and how they had all almost died.

"At least there was no rain of fire this time." Angel mused, "After that, I'm thinking that that guy, Kid Gloves, attacked. He had some burns on his body."

Kid Gloves roared in rage and slammed his fist into the Beast's face. Even through the gloves he wore, he could feel the heat and probably had a bad burn. His hands would be covered in blisters by morning. He didn't care though. He just saw his friend get killed by this thing. Running on pure rage, he hammered the Beast time and time again in the face. He actually made the thing back up with the flurry of punches and kicks that he threw.

He ducked a swing from the Beast and repeatedly punched its sides. The Beast growled and elbowed him in the side of the head. The Beast was still hot from the fire, so in addition to a powerful blow to the head, Kind Gloves also had a nasty burn. He fell to the ground and the Beast raised one of its huge hooves and was about to bring it down across Kid Gloves' chest.

The first stomp connected with a sickening cracking sound. Kay could barely breathe and the Beast was raising its hoof again. This shot would surely kill him. However, he was lucky to have a friend like Rapunzel. Her hair shot around the demon and entangled him, wrapping and binding. With the Beast's leg in the air it was child's play to pull him off his vertical base. The Beast crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

"Kay! Get clear!" Rapunzel yelled, struggling to keep the Beast from standing.

Kid Gloves began to crawl away slowly, just as he heard Rap scream. Then he heard the other sound. Her hair was being ripped and torn away. He immediately tried to stand. He would not let anymore friends die tonight.

"That explains why the place smells of burning hair." Wesley said, looking at several super long locks of hair on the floor in the center of the room.

"You'll be amazed at the next thing I tell you." Angel added.

"Porte! Come on Porte! Don't die on me!" Adam yelled as he shook Porte. Her pretty face was barely recognizable now. That thing had hit her hard, and she showed it. Her nose was broken, her jaw probably too. Her face had swelled and was bleeding heavily.

But the worst thing was the way she looked at Adam. Her eyes were glazed over, but it was clear she was scared. She was very, very afraid. She tried to talk, but only a sickening sound came out, like someone trying to speak while choking. She grabbed Adam's hand and he could only imagine she was trying to say his name. She tried to sit up and fell back down miserably. She coughed and hacked and sputtered a few more times before she just stopped.

Adam's jaw dropped. This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. They were Monster Fighters INC. They were THE GOOD GUYS for God's sake! The good guys didn't die! Small tears ran down Adam's cheek as he bowed his head. His head then turned and looked back into the warehouse where the Beast tearing out strands of Rap's hair as it stood. Adam's eyes narrowed in absolute rage.

He had always been the happy go lucky guy on the team. He was the street smart one, the flirtatious one, the cool one. He was never the angry one. Not until tonight. Standing, he pumped his legs furiously as he ran back into the warehouse as fast as he could. He leapt on the back of the Beast and roared in rage.

"Kay! Get Rap, Amanda and that other chick clear!" Adam yelled as he tightened his grip around the oblivious Beast, his arms scalding.

Kid Gloves moved as quickly as he could considering his injuries and grabbed Rap as she uncoiled her tendrils of hair. The hair then shot out and gripped the young woman who was tied up and pulled her along with them.

Adam was confused as to why they didn't have Amanda with them. Then it hit him, she was dead too. Adam screamed in rage as the Beast managed to pull him off of his back and slam him down hard into the concrete. The Beast looked down at him with a smirk. Adam just looked up furiously.

"Hey asshole, I'm going to show you why they call me Adam Bomb." Adam said right before his entire body exploded sending the Beast flying up into the air and then crashing back down to the concrete, cracking it.

Kid Gloves, Rapunzel, and the girl they were saving were thrown by the shockwave of the blast. Kay was pretty sure he took the brunt of the explosion for the two girls, even if it hurt him more. Crates in all directions were broken and shattered. Another hole was blown in the roof by the force of the blast. Kay looked back after he was certain the explosion was over. Sure enough, there was Adam standing there fully regenerated.

"Suck on that asshole." Adam said as he looked to the body of the Beast.

"Adam?" Rapunzel called.

"Yeah?" Adam said turning. 

"ADAM!" Rap screamed.

It was too late though. The Beast's fist came down on top of Adam's head. His neck moved in a way that it was not supposed to. It had been snapped in two. Adam stood a second longer, his head hanging at a bizarre angle before he fell over.

The Beast's face was a reserved mask of stone. Kay and Rap were horrified as the girl who was tied and gagged merely cried louder. Rapunzel stood.

"Kay, get the girl out of here." Rapunzel said standing, "I'm not coming back from this."

"Certainly fits what I know of Bomb's powers. I met he and the others last summer at a convention in Dallas. He was bit loud but he was a good man. They were all good people." Wesley sighed.

"Man, this is worse that I thought." Gunn said, putting a hand to his forehead.

"It gets worse. You don't have to hear anymore if you don't want to. It's a sure bet that this is the Beast." Angel said.

"No. Go on." Wesley replied.

"Are you sure that you want me to?" Angel asked.

"Go on." Wesley said again.

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! I'm sorry!" the young woman said as Kay removed the gag she had on.

"It's alright miss. You're going to be fine. I'm getting you out of here." Kay replied, "I'm going to untie you so you can walk."

"It's all my fault. Oh God! I don't want to be bad anymore! Oh God! Willow was right! Please you have to believe me! I don't want this anymore!" the woman said in horror.

Kay shook her a bit, trying to snap her out of her hysteria.

"Look, I need you to stand. We need to get out of here. Okay? OKAY!" Kid Gloves asked.

The girl looked at him, "Y-You're right. I'm sorry. I…OH MY GOD!"

Kay turned to see Rapunzel being cracked against the floor by the Beast. It was like someone slamming a full bag into the ground over and over. He was sickened as he heard Rap scream for him to help. Then her pleas went silent. And she was dropped by the wayside. The Beast looked at Kay.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to run as fast as you can." Kid Gloves said to the girl.

"I…I…I…"

"Run. Don't look back. Not for a second." Kid Gloves said as he stood.

He summoned every ounce of strength he had left in his body and looked at the Beast. It was just standing there. It had taken them out like they were rookies. But they were among the best in the business. He knew that he may die here tonight. But that didn't matter. He was a Monster Fighter; he was a hero, a warrior. And he was going to show this thing why he was potentially the greatest Monster Fighter in this generation. Greater than a vampire, greater than a Slayer, greater than any demon you would throw at him. He might die in the process, but this thing sure as hell wouldn't forget him. He grasped the top of the white wifebeater he wore and ripped it right down the middle and tossed down the remains. He then put his hand up and beckoned the Beast to come for him.

The Beast complied and walked forwards. Kay smiled evilly and shot forwards, poetry in motion. The Beast swung at him, but Kay grabbed the wrist, which had cooled considerably and swung up behind the creature. His legs wrapped around the Beast's arm on the opposite side as his own arms locked around the arm he had grabbed by the wrist. Using all of the force he could muster, he pulled backwards. His stratagem, the Crucifix, had worked and pulled the creature down off balance. As it rolled backwards, Kay released his hold.

The Beast rose to one knee and was met by a flying kick from Kay, this time aimed at the head and not the chest. The Beast sprawled backwards flat on the concrete. Kay kept moving and leapt up bringing both feet down heel first across the Beast's eyes before flipping forward and landing on his feet. The Beast sat up and tried to get up again. Kay ran forward again and put all of his weight on the tip of the Beast's horns performing a face buster on the concrete that cracked it. Kay then used all of his strength to push down even harder, grinding the Beast's face into the concrete. His only chance was to keep the Beast from getting up. Still he had no real way of keeping it down.

His eyes scanned around the room and he saw a chain hanging from the ceiling. It was on a pulley and it was nearby. He sprang up and ran to it. The Beast rose up behind him.

"Come on!" Kay roared.

The Beast chuckled and ran forward, hooves breaking concrete as it picked up speed. Kay smirked as it followed him. He intentionally let it get close and gripped the chain in front of him and swung around on it like Tarzan, wrapping it around the neck of the Beast. He used the hook at the end and secured it around the Beast's neck.

He grabbed the chain opposite of the Beast and strained. He was slowly lifting the Beast off of the ground, effectively hanging it. Roaring in rage over the loss of his friends he pulled further. The Beast went four feet into the air. Kay cried in strain and in sadness because he's never hear one of Adam's jokes again. He'd never laugh at Rap's inability to understand this dimension. He'd never hear Porte talk about her comics. He'd never get to hold Amanda again. He'd never get any of that, so he cried and pulled harder. The Beast was suspended seven feet in the air, hanging by the neck.

It looked down at Kay scowling and shot a hoof out cracking him in the face. Kay released the chain and fell back as the Beast dropped to the ground, making two holes in the concrete with its hooves. It broke the chain at its neck with ease and walked over towards Kay. Kay sprang up and jabbed it in the face turning its head. The Beast backhanded him, sending him crashing into a crate. Kay barely moved in time as another crate smashed into the one he occupied. The Beast watched and threw another heavy crate at him. Again it missed as Kay ducked and rolled. He came right back for the Beast and threw a right cross that would have actually knocked the Beast flat on his ass if it had connected with his face.

Instead, the Beast caught the fist and began crushing it. Kid Gloves refused to give the monster any satisfaction and held his pain in, more tears running down his cheek. He merely bellowed and threw a left kick at the Beast. It was likewise caught. His ankle was likewise crushed. Then Kay felt himself rising into the air, being held aloft the Beast. Kay did scream in the next instant. The Beast's horns gored him horribly as blood began to pour from the wounds. Kay lost his scream as he was pulled further down the horns, completely impaled atop them.

And then suddenly he was no longer on the horns. In fact, he was rising into the air. The pain was fading. It was all going away. He was being carried to Heaven on the wings of angels. He knew that was it. He died laughing as he hit the roof of the warehouse and fell back down to the concrete below.

And the Beast smiled.

"God in Heaven." Wesley said.

"That's…that's…I don't know how to feel about that." Gunn replied.

"Feel grateful that there were people out there that were willing to risk their lives like that. On any other day that could have been us." Angel explained.

"Weren't there supposed to be other people in here?" Wesley asked.

"Yeah, but we never found any bodies. Whatever happened after the Beast killed Monster Fighters INC. is anyone's guess." Angel sighed.

The Beast walked to the girl who was on the floor in a fetal position. She was spouting nonsense as he approached.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I don't want this. This is too much. He's too much for me. I can't handle this." She cried as she lay there. She looked up to the Beast when he approached, "Kill me. Please kill me. I don't want this anymore. He made me call them. He made me put you back together and fix you. He made me tie myself up and wait for them. He made me wake you up when they came in here. I'm so sorry. I just want out. I'd cut my wrists but he stops me from doing it. Kill me please. Kill me before he comes back."

The Beast merely regarded her with no expression as he raised his hoof. He sent it down at her, ready to crush her skull like a melon. But his foot stopped. The Beast staggered back and in the girl's place was now a man with red skin and wild eyes. Also his hair was green.

"Well, well, well. Now isn't this interesting. You really are everything you're billed to be aren't you?" Mephisto said standing up, dusting himself off.

The Beast showed no expression and merely swung, only to have his own hand grabbed. He could push it no further. He strained as did the creature in front of him, but he was not able to push any further.

"Going to hit me before you hear my offer?" Mephisto smirked, straining slightly.

"You have nothing I want. I serve only my master." The Beast replied.

"Well, that's touching. Loyal to the very last. Let me tell you something now, your master's plans have been thwarted. She was cast out of this world by the Sorcerer Supreme. And you were shattered by a dagger made of your own body. Not a very pleasant way to go I imagine." Mephisto said smugly before letting go of the Beast's fist. Both creatures lost their balance temporarily.

"You lie." The Beast growled.

"I've been known to, yes. But I'm telling you the truth right now. Also I put you back together and had my better half do the proper incantations at the place of your death to bring you back. Your master didn't bother to though. All that magickal power and she didn't even bother fixing you." Mephisto said, circling the Beast.

"She was my master. I failed in my mission." The Beast growled.

"I must say, that loyalty truly is inspiring. A bit idiotic, but inspiring." Mephisto smirked, hopping up on the remnants of a crate, "Let me tell you something right now, so listen up. You're a thug. A goon. A henchman. One hell of a henchman but nothing more. And now your master isn't in contact with you, and without her orders you have no purpose. She's probably participating in the war down below as we speak and was content to let you spend eternity as a few pieces of rock."

"She was my master, it was her prerogative to do so." The Beast replied.

"True, but that fact means she's also abandoned you. I had you fixed and you walk again. Alone. No purpose. You're like a boat with no oars. Lost. You're like a bull that loves to fight, but has no cause to fight for. That really makes you kind of pathetic." Mephisto smirked.

"Hold your tongue or I'll—"

"Hit me? See, there it is. No reason to fight but for the sake of fighting. And if you want to fight, I'll give you one. As you can tell, we're about the same in strength. That and I'm A LOT faster than you. We can fight all night if you want. Of course, sooner or later Wolfram and Hart and that do-gooder vampire Angel are going to show up here and I know for a fact that they are just dying to get their hands on us. My better half and I escaped from them and you…well, you killed them once. Their agents probably couldn't take us down as we are now, but I'm sure they have plenty of little toys that they're just dying to try out. So we either fight or we deal." Mephisto said, his silver tongue doing a number on the Beast.

"What do you want?" the Beast asked.

"Well, that's simple now isn't it? I want your services. I'd get the perfect enforcer and you'd get a purpose in life again. Really a match made in Heaven, well more or less." Mephisto smiled, "Clock's a tickin'. So what do you say?"

The Beast looked at Mephisto for a long time and weighed all the options. He looked down at the ground and then looked Mephisto in the eye.

"I will serve you. For now." The Beast replied.

"Not interested then." Mephisto said standing up, "With me you're in it for the long haul. It's either all the way, or you're on your own without anyone to guide you. Good luck finding some other demon lord who won't enlist you in the Blood War and get you shattered again."

The Beast pondered it again and slowly went to one knee.

"I will serve you indefinitely…..master." the Beast said.

"Better."


End file.
